MDG 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Target 1.B Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people: Achievements and challenges in Europe and Central Asia Petra Ulshoefer and Alena Nesporova Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia International Labour Organization Geneva, 17 March 2010
Structure of presentation Introduction MDG 1.B and decent work Four employment indicators Key recommendations Employment and decent work in Europe and Central Asia Labour market trends in Europe and Central Asia Employment challenges in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia Policies addressing the employment challenges ILO technical assistance to the countries
MDG target 1.B was included in 2005 Reasons: Recognition that employment and decent work are legitimate and fundamental goals in their own right and not the automatic by-products of growth Decent work sums up the aspirations of people worldwide in their working lives Decent work comprises four inseparable, interrelated and mutually supportive pillars: employment, rights at work, social protection and social dialogue
4 Indicators for target 1B. 1. Labour productivity (measured as GDP per person employed) 2. Employment-to-population ratio 3. Proportion of employed people living below USD 1 (PPP) per day 4. Proportion of own-account and contributing family workers in total employment
Key recommendations for achieving the target 1B. Achieving full employment and decent work for all requires: Renewed commitment from countries Persistent efforts centred on quality jobs, sustainable enterprises, efficient labour market institutions, social protection, safeguarding rights at work, promoting voice and participation The global crisis needs reorientation towards the creation of jobs as expressed in the Global Jobs Pact adopted in June 2009
Indicator 1.4: Labour productivity (GDP per person employed; annual growth rates in %) Subregion Average 2001-2007 2008 2009 est. 2010 proj. EU-15 1.2-0.0-1.5 1.5 EU-27 1.8 0.4-1.3 1.4 Western Balkans, CIS, Georgia and Turkey 5.2 5.0-4.7 n.a.
Indicator 1.5: Employment to population ratio (%) Subregion 2000 2007 2008 2009 est. EU-15 63.4 67.0 67.3 n.a. EU-27 62.2 65.4 65.9 n.a. Western Balkans, CIS, Georgia and Turkey 52.3 54.4 54.5 53.2
Indicator 1.6 Proportion of employed people living below the poverty line (working poor), % Subregion 2003 2008 2009 Western Balkans, CIS, Georgia, Turkey USD 1.25/day 6.1 USD 2.00/day 15.4 4.0 12.8 5.3 15.5
Indicator 1.7 Proportion of own account workers and contributing family members in total employment, % Subregion 2000 2007 2008 2009 est. Developed economies, incl. EU 10.7 9.8 9.7 10.3 Western Balkans, CIS, Georgia, Turkey 24.6 20.5 19.5 21.5
Unemployment rate (%) Subregion 2000 2007 2008 2009 2010 proj. EU-15 7.7 7.0 7.1 9.1 10.3 EU-12 14.0 8.4 7.3 10.1 10.6 (EU-10) Western Balkans, CIS, Georgia, Turkey 10.6 8.3 8.3 10.3 10.1
Main employment challenges in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia Economic crisis has reversed favourable labour market developments (moderately increasing employment and rapidly declining unemployment in the 2000s): employment has contracted and unemployment sharply increased Sharpening regional labour market differences High and increasing informal employment Skill mismatches High labour migration Displacements and unemployment hitting in particular youth, older persons, women with smaller children, persons with disabilities, low skilled workers and certain ethnic minorities. Many of them worked in atypical forms of employment.
Policies addressing the employment challenges Policy framework outlined in the ILO Global Jobs Pact, adopted by all ILO member countries in June 2009 and endorsed by UN ECOSOC in July 2009. Focus on employment-centred recovery and longer-term strategy stimulating inclusive job-rich growth. Time-bound employment retention measures combined with subsidized training for newly demanded skills. Support to enterprises, in particular SMEs, and assistance for the diversification of production and exports and improvement of competitiveness. Infrastructure projects to boost economic development and competitiveness, reduce regional imbalances and create new jobs through combination with community work schemes.
Policies addressing the employment challenges (cont.) Strengthening of labour market institutions and policies, improving the compliance with legislation and stimulating the gradual formalization of informal employment. Special employment promotion programmes for vulnerable groups. Reforms of national technical and vocational education and training systems, to increase the education and skills levels of the population and create conditions for the continuous adjustment of skills. Social dialogue should play an important role in the formulation and implementation of recovery plans and longer-term economic and employment strategies.
ILO technical assistance Decent Work Country Programmes the main vehicle for delivery of ILO technical assistance. Currently 9 countries have such programmes (in 4 of them the programmes have just been completed and new ones are under preparation). In three others a DWCP is now being prepared, two other countries have light DWCPs, and a new Programme of Cooperation based on the DWA is being finalized with the Russian Federation. Close link of DWCPs with UNDAFs and One UN Programmes. Both the on-going and the new DWCPs have been (re)focused on crisis response and stimulation of early labour market and social recovery.